Black Beauty, written by Anna Sewell, published in 1877, is a moving tale about a horse named Black Beauty, who endures hardships, as well as kindness, through a variety of owners, which reveals not only the way animals view us, but how humans treat each other. It is a tale told from the point of view of a horse as it grows up with its mother, and then is moved to Birkwick Park, where it is trained by a man named John Manly.
There, Black Beauty meets other horses, include Ginger, and Merrylegs, and we see how the horses are ridden and cared for. But what’s unique about this story is how the author puts us in the mind of Black Beauty, where we experience life through his eyes, contrasted from rest and happiness, to exhaustion, illness, thirst, and hunger. It is here that we see the effects of horse equipment such as blinkers and bearing reins–the latter of which causes the horse’s head to be elevated as it moves awkwardly–all for aesthetic reasons. There are also scenes in the book where horses are overburdened with carts as they are severely whipped for either getting stuck or not moving fast enough. And then there are moments where Black Beauty is cared for improperly, such as when he is underfed, or his stall is poorly cleaned, or when his hooves are worn with cracks–especially in one scene where a drunkard rides him with a broken hoof, and he ends up crashing on the road.
I can give an inexhaustible account of every sort of ill treatment that Black Beauty endures or witnesses–especially when he is sent to live in London. But there are also scenes of compassion, especially under the care of John Manly, who not only looks after Black Beauty, but other horses who he sees are being mistreated on the road. In the last act of the story, Black Beauty is cared for by Jerry Barker and his family, riding through the streets of London, drawing a cab. Is it is here that the importance of rest is emphasized, not only for the rider, but for the horse, as it is said that horses who work seven days a week without rest burn out more easily.
Throughout the narrative, Black Beauty witnesses the mistreatment of humans upon humans, as if they are treated as objects, or with disregard to their dignity or safety. In one scene, a man gripes to the Governor that because of the overhead he and others must pay for renting horses, they must ride all throughout the day before they even make a profit–often without a break. And in another scene, Jerry is summoned to pick up riders from a party during New Year’s, only to wait long through the cold night.
Suffice it to say, each chapter tells its own story of what Black Beauty experiences. It is not told in the conventional way where the protagonist is trying to reach some goal by the end, but rather, it is told like a documentary where we witness everything first hand, and though Black Beauty can understand and relate all the dialogue that is exchanged amongst the human characters, it never leaves his point of view, which allows us a window into both worlds. At times, it can be heartrending to read, but overall, it is a tale that shows how kindness and compassion can make all the difference not just upon horses or animals, but upon ourselves.
Fallton Havenstonne 